Machine for packaging products in general by producing cases or boxes of the hinged-lid type which can be closed over a collar with a guarantee seal starting from individual flat blanks with multiple component parts

Abstract

A machine for packaging products by producing boxes of the hinged-lid type which can be closed over a collar with a guarantee seal starting from individual flat blanks with multiple component parts formed by three operationally independent machine sections of modular structure interconnected in the overall machine in an operationally interdependent manner. A first machine section includes an apparatus utilizing a static separation for the supply of the individual blanks in individual sequence to the second machine section comprising a closed-loop conveyor provided with gripper members for supplying the individual blanks to successive stations so that they can be made up in a tubular shape and for transferring them to the third machine section for the operations to fill them with the product to be packaged and their closure with the guarantee seal.

I claim: 
     
       1. A machine for packaging products in a hinged-lid type boxes to be erected and closed over a collar with a guarantee seal, said machine comprising: a first machine module formed with an end and including:   first driving means for driving a first closed-loop elongated conveyor inclined to a horizontal and transporting a plurality of flat blanks toward said end of the first machine module, each of said blanks being formed with notches, fold and separation lines defining walls, ends and flaps of a respective hinged-lid box to be erected along a blank path of said blanks;   storing means close to the end of said first conveyor for storing said plurality of blanks arranged upright side by side to form a bundle thereof,   separating means downstream of said storing means for separating each of said blanks from said plurality in an individual rhythmic sequence;   a second machine module formed with respective first and second ends and including:   second driving means for driving horizontally a second closed-loop elongated conveyor extending at an angle from said first conveyor downstream of said separating means and between said first and second ends of the second module, said separating means depositing each of said blanks horizontally flat on said second conveyor positioned to receive each of said blanks in said individual rhythmic sequence and to transport said blanks toward said second end of the second module,   a plurality of first gripper members on said second conveyor formed uniformly spaced from one another along said blank path,   a plurality of shaping members receiving a respective one of said flat blanks in said rhythmic sequence from said first gripping members for folding respective sides and flaps of the respective blank thereby applying a tubular shape of the respective box to be erected with at least one of the respective ends thereof left open; and   a third machine module formed with a respective pair of first and second ends and including:   third driving means for driving a third closed-loop elongated conveyor transporting each of said boxes received in said rhythmic sequence from said second conveyor between the first and second ends of said third module and extending at an angle to said second conveyor,   second gripping members spaced uniformly from one another along said box path on said third conveyor,   loading means for receiving a respective one of said boxes in said rhythmic sequence from said second gripping members for filling each of the boxes with a product to be packaged, and   sealing means downstream of said loading means for sealingly closing the end left open of the respective one of said boxes, said modules forming a U-shaped assembly.   
     
     
       2. The machine defined in claim 1 wherein said second machine module, comprises monitoring means for rejecting defective blanks. 
     
     
       3. The machine defined in claim 1 wherein said second and third conveyors are movable intermittently in a phase synchronization with one another. 
     
     
       4. The machine defined in claim 1 wherein said second machine modulus, further comprising means for gluing adapted to glue respective sides of a respective one of said blanks in response to a signal received from a respective photocell.